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Would love to hear from those that have been there. We are going in June to celebrate our 25th...very excited!

Favorite island for what?

My favorite island for great food, good consistent surf, lots to see and do and incredible beauty is Oahu.

My favorite island for what Hawaii was like 50 years ago is Kauai. It also has incredible scenery and great sights, but of the natural kind, not historic per se.

My favorite island for pure relaxation and best bargain in a luxury resort is Lanai and the Lodge at Ko'ele. The Lodge is my absolute favorite hotel in Hawaii because it is so unique. It is like living like a pineapple plantation baron

My favorite island for deep sea fishing, snorkeling and seeing a live volcano is the Big Island.

My least favorite island is Maui because it is so far removed from the Maui I remember as a child. It feels like wall to wall condos, but as "bad" as Maui is, it is still pretty good and Napili Bay and the Napili Kai Beach Resort feels like the old Maui.

Bottom line is what is important to you to do on your vacation? What do you want to see and do? How important are varied food experiences? How important are sights?

Big Island would be my choice for a land vacation. So many things to see & do. I like Kona the best because of fantastic beaches, snorkeling at Captain Cook monument, jetskis, parasailing, Kona coffee plantation etc. But easy enough to get to the other side of the island for Volcano National Park, Hilo Tropical Gardens, black sand beach and waterfalls like Rainbow falls etc.

Would love to hear from those that have been there. We are going in June to celebrate our 25th...very excited!

We also went on a Hawaiian cruise for our 25th. We've been to Oahu a few times and to us it's changed too much since our first visit. Our favorite island is Kauai as it's what I imagined Hawaii to be like while I was growing up. It's beauty and laid back atmosphere is what I like.

Most favorite, Kauai. Beautiful scenery, lots of fruit . Coconuts, papayas, guavas, rambutans, mangos. Still remember the day we stopped to get barbeque from a temporaty stand a couple of guys set up along Kuhio Highway, huli huli chicken. My wife pointed out that was the first day she had not seen the wild chickens running around the lot.
Least favorite island Oahu. Ever since I was stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway. Just something fundamentally wrong with freeways on a tropical island. .

Most favorite, Kauai. Beautiful scenery, lots of fruit . Coconuts, papayas, guavas, rambutans, mangos. Still remember the day we stopped to get barbeque from a temporaty stand a couple of guys set up along Kuhio Highway, huli huli chicken. My wife pointed out that was the first day she had not seen the wild chickens running around the lot.
Least favorite island Oahu. Ever since I was stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway. Just something fundamentally wrong with freeways on a tropical island. .

Bill

Another vote for Kauai here. True paradise. Love that they imposed strict building restrictions, keeping commercialization to a minimum and preventing high rise buildings.

It is a great place for a laid back vacation surrounded by natural beauty, while providing amazing variety in topography.
Most first time visitors arrive expecting the gorgeous beaches and mountains, but are surprised to discover Waimea Canyon, a smaller version of the Grand Canyon and the dramatic, rugged cliffs of the Napali Coast.

Kauai requires at least 3 days at the bare minimum.
One day to go out exploring the eastern and northern route.
One day to go out exploring the southern and western route.
And at least one day just for relaxing.

Try to fit in a spectacular flightseeing tour over the island too if you can, either by helicopter or small fixed wing plane.

Kayaking or rafting or backcountry tubing or horseback riding or wind surfing or zip lining or the Smith's Luau are other activities to be enjoyed there, or just watch a beautiful sunset from Princeville or out at the end of the Hanalei Pier.

The people who only get a one day Kauai stop on a cruise ship really get cheated.

Least favorite island Oahu. Ever since I was stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway. Just something fundamentally wrong with freeways on a tropical island. .

Bill

I would politely suggest you were in the wrong part of Oahu then. It is possibly the most beautiful of the islands, only Kauai can give Oahu a run for its money on that account. If you ever saw the TV show "Lost", all that verdant green open space and a amazing cliffs were all Oahu.

I would politely suggest you were in the wrong part of Oahu then. It is possibly the most beautiful of the islands, only Kauai can give Oahu a run for its money on that account. If you ever saw the TV show "Lost", all that verdant green open space and a amazing cliffs were all Oahu.

I have been all over the island, I was just giving my opinion as to why it is my least favorite. Wasn't looking for an argument.
Yes there are pieces of the island that are still lush and green. But overall that island is overpopulated and overdeveloped. Of course when you have 80% of the population and 80% of the tourists, that's going to happen.
Just my opinion.

I would politely suggest you were in the wrong part of Oahu then. It is possibly the most beautiful of the islands, only Kauai can give Oahu a run for its money on that account. If you ever saw the TV show "Lost", all that verdant green open space and a amazing cliffs were all Oahu.

I agree with you. Many people dismiss Oahu as too touristy and crowded, but overall it is my favorite island. I think Kauai may have some of the most scenic beauty (Waimea Canyon, Hanalei, and the Na Pali Coast will knock your socks off), but if I were to return to live in Hawaii I would choose Oahu. It has it all. It has got the scenic beauty (Pali Lookout, North Shore, Hanauma Bay, Lanikai Beach, Kualoa Ranch), the historic downtown with the Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, Pearl Harbor, Chinatown and who can forget the wildly spectacular Waikiki Beach crowned by Diamond Head. Despite the development, Waikiki is one of the most incredible stretches of beach anywhere in the world. I think Oahu is far prettier than Maui or the Big Island. I definitely choose Oahu.

If you have 2 weeks to spend in Hawaii and can't decide between the 4 main islands, you could take the circle cruise on Pride of America the first week to see for yourself which island most appeals to you.

Then spend the second week on your favorite island, or split it between a couple of favorites. The islands are close enough together so that a plane ride between them is only a short hop.

Or if you have time enough for a longer cruise and would like the extra days at sea, you could take a one way cruise from the mainland that hits the 4 main islands, and then spend the remaining vacation time on your favorite(s) afterward.

Here is another vote for the Big Island! But I would go to any of them again in a heart beat! I love the Big Island because it has such great snorkeling options. The island is also so diverse, desert to tropical rainforest to the most beautiful beaches. I can't wait to go back!!!

I have been all over the island, I was just giving my opinion as to why it is my least favorite. Wasn't looking for an argument.
Yes there are pieces of the island that are still lush and green. But overall that island is overpopulated and overdeveloped. Of course when you have 80% of the population and 80% of the tourists, that's going to happen.
Just my opinion.

Bill

Haleiwa and Laie are overpopulated? Punalu'u? Waianae? Waimanalo? Not even Kaneohe or Kailua is overdeveloped. I think Maui is much more overdeveloped than Oahu because so much of the shore line in South and West Maui is wall to wall condos.

That 80% of the people live in about 10% of the island. There are not "pieces" that are luch and green the majority of the island is not developed and still lush and green.

Yes, you are entitled to your opinion, but not a distortion of the facts as to what Oahu is like.

I loved Oahu much more the second time around then the first....and there was close to 20 years in between....then North Shore area was my favorite...we stayed outside of Wakiki in KoOlina and LOVED it.

Planning on going back and spending a week just in Oahu next year to go to what became some of our favorite places while we were there and visiting the things that we missed.

When I was there before Kauai was definitely my fav and still holds a special place in my heart.

Our plan is to go and spend a week on each island in the next several years.

Haleiwa and Laie are overpopulated? Punalu'u? Waianae? Waimanalo? Not even Kaneohe or Kailua is overdeveloped. I think Maui is much more overdeveloped than Oahu because so much of the shore line in South and West Maui is wall to wall condos.

That 80% of the people live in about 10% of the island. There are not "pieces" that are luch and green the majority of the island is not developed and still lush and green.

Yes, you are entitled to your opinion, but not a distortion of the facts as to what Oahu is like.

LOL You are getting tiring. Stop trying to shove your favorite island down my throat.
You love Oahu and so do the the vast majority of the tourist since most of them go there. You can have it.
OP wasn't looking for a debate, they wanted to know favorite islands so they have your vote for Oahu and mine for Kauai.

LOL You are getting tiring. Stop trying to shove your favorite island down my throat.
You love Oahu and so do the the vast majority of the tourist since most of them go there. You can have it.
OP wasn't looking for a debate, they wanted to know favorite islands so they have your vote for Oahu and mine for Kauai.

The OP is entitled to the facts, stop trying to pretend Oahu is all like Waikiki. I gave my opinion of every island and its special allure, I didn't try to distort the truth on any of them like you have.

I also did not say what was my favorite was. I said what I liked about each island and what it would be a favorite for. The OP has to process the information for the kind of experience they want, bad information won't help them do that/